Government of Canada invests in Prince George Airport

Canadians rely on safe and well-maintained local and regional airports to keep their communities connected. These airports also support essential air services including air ambulance services, search and rescue, forest fire response, and delivering essential goods to communities. As Canada works towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, investments in the airports continue to be crucial to maintain the safety and security of the transportation sector.

The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, has announced that the Government of Canada is investing more than $1.7 million in the Prince George Airport (YXS) through Transport Canada’s Airport Relief Fund to help it maintain important airport operations and essential air services for residents and workers in Prince George and surrounding communities.

The Prince George Airport also received over $1.4 million from Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Programme for the purchase of a 4×4 snowplow truck and a wet/dry material spreader. This equipment will help the airport maintain safe operations for aircraft, passengers, crews and airport workers by keeping runways and taxiways clear of snow and ice. The funding will also support the expansion of a shelter to house and protect the airport’s aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle from the elements, ensuring it is ready for immediate use in case of an emergency.

These investments are in addition to the over $1.4 million in Airports Capital Assistance Programme funding provided to the airport in May 2021 for the purchase of an aircraft rescue firefighting vehicle and a runway ice sweeper.

Alghabra commented: “As we move forward with the safe and gradual return of air travel, it is our government’s priority to ensure a vibrant and competitive Canadian air sector that keeps travellers and workers safe. These critical investments will allow the Prince George Airport to have the infrastructure and tools needed to help re-invigorate the aviation industry in the communities it serves, and allow Canadians to feel safe and secure when they travel.”